Median house price
$2.21M
+5.4% change
NSW · Newcastle Council
Merewether, 2291
Est. population · Jun 2025
12,237
Growth (1 yr)
+0.9%
Growth (5 yr)
+3.3%
Median age
39
Median income
$2,287/wk
Employment rate
66.7%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$2,213,000
Languages at home
6.3%non-English
Most common: Greek, Italian, Spanish
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Green suburb
- National parks
- Excellent transport
- Cycling
Suburb profile
Merewether is a coastal established suburb a long way from Sydney, where beach life and a quieter rhythm set the tone. Day-to-day life leans on nearby towns and local hubs rather than the metro area. Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with plenty of young families in the mix.
Sport and recreation are easy to access, with local venues supporting active weekends and after-work routines. Parks and open space are a real strength relative to many coastal suburbs, easy for walks, sport and weekend downtime. Everyday errands are walkable, and buses keep the wider city within easy reach.
Homes cost more here than in most comparable suburbs. Active development is adding new homes and refreshed pockets throughout the suburb.
Against similar coastal suburbs, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because safety lag behind, despite relative strength in community and employment, plus schools and education.
At a glance
Merewether snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$720/wk
Houses $950 · Units $600
Population (ERP)
12,237
+0.9% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
8.2%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#24
among Coastal & beach · Established
Safety
59th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
63rd
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
10/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
92nd
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 54.8/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 22% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 1573rd in Australia
- State rank
- 461st in NSW
- Peer rank
- #24 among Coastal & beach · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #52 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 100%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $600
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $950
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $720
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 167
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $2,213,000
- Median price change
- +5.4%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
12,237(June 2025)
+0.9% annual · +3.3% over 5 years · 63th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.9%
- 5-year growth
- +3.3%
- Change in 1 year
- +108
- Change in 5 years
- +390
- Growth rank in NSW
- 63th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~12,450), extrapolated at +0.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 11,788
- Median age
- 39
- Median household income / week
- $2,287
- Dwelling vacancy
- 8.2%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 409 of 5,000
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,457
- Employment rate
- 66.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 2,795 / 881 / 904
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 984
- Against the person
- 164
- Against property
- 643
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 80.4
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 72 residents
- State safety percentile
- 59.1th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +0.5%
Most common offence types
- Break And Enter Dwelling138
- Fraud76
- Malicious Damage To Property82
- Steal From Dwelling74
- Steal From Motor Vehicle246
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 6
- Median school ICSEA (6 schools)
- 1,130.5
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 92th
School list
- Merewether Heights Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1129 · 91th percentile · LBOTE 10% · 269 students · Top SEA quarter 52% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
- Holy Family Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1132 · 92th percentile · LBOTE 17% · 198 students · Top SEA quarter 52% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
- Merewether Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 950 · 25th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 139 students · Top SEA quarter 22% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
- The Junction Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1115 · 88th percentile · LBOTE 20% · 450 students · Top SEA quarter 52% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
- Hamilton South Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1139 · 93th percentile · LBOTE 16% · 362 students · Top SEA quarter 58% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
- St Joseph's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1141 · 94th percentile · LBOTE 15% · 387 students · Top SEA quarter 57% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- KU Merewether PreschoolCaldwell Streetkindergarten
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated
Public transport
184 public transport stops in this suburb
- Fernleigh Loop Opp Faul St
- Jefferson Park, Frederick St
- Scenic Dr Opp 62
- Scenic Dr Opp Charlotte St
- Scenic Dr Opp Woodward St
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed
Amenities
218 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
2 restaurants · 1 cafes · 3 pubs · 1 supermarkets · 3 fast food · 1 places of worship · 3 playgrounds · 10 swimming pools
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Highly walkable for everyday errands
- Great for outdoor family life — 14 parks mapped in suburb, 3 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 184 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 14 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 73/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.08
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0.76
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 1.19
Food & drink(9)
- Blue Door KioskCafe
1 John Parade, Merewether
- Best Coast PizzaFast food
Unit 3 32 Llewellyn Street, Merewether
- Happy Inn TakeawayFast food
Unit 2 34 Llewellyn Street, Merewether
- Ridge St TakeawayFast food
- Beaches HotelPub
- Modus MerewetherPub
20 Merewether Street
- The Prince of MerewetherPub
1 Morgan Street, Merewether
- Merewether Surf HouseRestaurant
Henderson Parade, Merewether
- sapphire IndianRestaurant
Glebe Road
Shopping(2)
- Fresh foodsGreengrocer
30A Llewellyn Street, Merewether
- IGASupermarket
30 Llewellyn Street, Merewether
Community(3)
- KU Merewether PreschoolKindergarten
25 Caldwell Street, Merewether
- Holy Family Primary SchoolSchool
- Merewether Public SchoolSchool
6 Henry Street, Merewether
Health & services(1)
- Lingard Private HospitalHospital
Sport & outdoors(28)
- Campbell ParkPark
- Charlotte Street ReserverPark
- Gibbs Brothers ParkPark
- Hanging gliding padPark
- Henderson ParkPark
- Mitchell ParkPark
- Morgan Street ReservePark
- Myamblah Crescent ReservePark
- Park (2)
- Robinson Place ReservePark
- West Park ReservePark
- Woodward Street ReservePark
- Picnic area
- Playground (3)
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (10)
Entertainment(4)
- Merewether LookoutViewpoint
- Viewpoint (3)
Transport(63)
63 bus stops
Other(23)
- BWSAlcohol
30C Llewellyn Street, Merewether
- Bench (5)
- Rocket MTB SuspensionBicycle
25 Henry Street, Merewether
- Bicycle Parking (7)
- Bicycle rental
- Drinking water (3)
- Merewether Fire StationFire station
39 Llewellyn Street, Merewether
- Garden (24)
- Baileys CottagebGuest House
237 Scenic Drive, Merewether
- Merewether Beach B&BGuest House
- Information (2)
- Newcastle City CouncilMotorcycle Parking
- Parking (5)
- Parking Space (31)
- Petrol station
- Picnic Table (11)
- St Augustine's Anglican ChurchPlace of worship
37 Winsor Street
- Merewether Post OfficePost office
36 Llewellyn Street
- Public toilets
- Shelter (6)
- Shower
- Track
- Waste Basket
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
12 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Campbell ParkPark
- Charlotte Street ReserverPark
- Dixon ParkPark
- Gibbs Brothers ParkPark
- Hanging gliding padPark
- Henderson ParkPark
- Mitchell ParkPark
- Morgan Street ReservePark
- Myamblah Crescent ReservePark
- Robinson Place ReservePark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 19
- Parks (OSM)
- 14
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Places of worship
1 places of worship within ~1.5 km
- St Augustine's Anglican Church
37 Winsor Street
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
- 1
- Nearest hospital
- Lingard Private Hospital (1.4 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
- Emergency department in suburb
- On site
- Lingard Private HospitalHospital
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 280
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 22.9
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 27° / 18°
- Rainfall
- 295 mm · ~37 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 23° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 366 mm · ~46 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 18° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 272 mm · ~34 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 23° / 13°
- Rainfall
- 230 mm · ~29 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.
2026· 84 proposals
July 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia16 PATRICK STREET MEREWETHER 2291Additional Information Requested
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space19 MARY STREET MEREWETHER 2291Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space; Swimming pool14 CRAM STREET MEREWETHER 2291Additional Information Requested
- Demolition; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Fences5 JUNE STREET MEREWETHER 2291Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure47 RAILWAY STREET MEREWETHER 2291Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure60 WILTON STREET MEREWETHER 2291Additional Information Requested
- Demolition; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)5 ROBERT STREET MEREWETHER 2291Additional Information Requested
- Secondary dwelling; Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure8 WILTON STREET MEREWETHER 2291Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation130 HENRY STREET MEREWETHER 2291Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool111 RIDGE STREET MEREWETHER 2291Under Assessment
- Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Garage, carport or carparking space; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external); Swimming pool1A LIVINGSTONE STREET MEREWETHER 2291Additional Information Requested
June 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Dual occupancy (attached)29 MORGAN STREET MEREWETHER 2291Additional Information Requested
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure33 WOODWARD STREET MEREWETHER 2291Under Assessment
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses; Swimming pool22 JOHN PARADE MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure5 BERNER STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Landscaping structures24 MYAMBLAH CRESCENT MEREWETHER 2291Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure1 CRAM STREET MEREWETHER 2291Under Assessment
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)72 MACQUARIE STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures); Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Fences; Landscaping structures89 KENRICK STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Demolition; Subdivision; Dual occupancy (attached)44 KEMPSTER ROAD MEREWETHER 2291Additional Information Requested
- Demolition; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)3 NOTT STREET MEREWETHER 2291Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool40 WILTON STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation66 MITCHELL STREET MEREWETHER 2291Under Assessment
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure68 TURNBULL STREET MEREWETHER 2291Under Assessment
May 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses158 NATIONAL PARK STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure7 ULICK STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool17 BURWOOD STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Subdivision190 GLEBE ROAD MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Demolition; Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure32 CALDWELL STREET MEREWETHER 2291Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Carport3 ARTHUR STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure20 TURNBULL STREET MEREWETHER 2291Additional Information Requested
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure51A MEREWETHER STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool18 PELL STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Demolition; Subdivision; Dual occupancy (attached)54 SELWYN STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space67 JANET STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
April 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure45 WILTON STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces28 RANCLAUD STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure82 TURNBULL STREET MEREWETHER 2291Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure31A HELEN STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure6 HELEN STREET MEREWETHER 2291Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Heritage
1 heritage place
- Ridge, The21 Hillcrest Road NewcastleSHR
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Newcastle
- Member of Parliament
- Sharon CLAYDON (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 126,226
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.2%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +2.9 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 29.2%Labor 70.8%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 2.5 km away).
Coalition 35.1%Labor 64.9%
5.9 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +5.7 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Merewether SouthLabor 61.7% · Coalition 38.3% TPP (2025)0.7 km away
- Merewether HeightsLabor 61.5% · Coalition 38.5% TPP (2025)1.0 km away
- MerewetherLabor 65.6% · Coalition 34.4% TPP (2025)1.1 km away
- The JunctionLabor 68.5% · Coalition 31.5% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
- Beaumont ParkLabor 75.8% · Coalition 24.2% TPP (2025)1.6 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 10/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Newcastle Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.